What Makes Our Program Distinct?

The Family Nurse Practitioner specialty of the DNP is unique in two respects:

• Faculty members are committed educators as well as practitioners and each continues to practice professionally to remain grounded in clinical practice.
• Clinical practicum experiences will be arranged to meet the individual needs of students while also meeting accreditation and certification requirements for the family nurse practitioner scope of practice.

Family nurse practitioner students learn to:

• obtain comprehensive and focused health histories
• conduct complete and focused physical examinations
• diagnose and treat common acute and chronic problems using principles of diagnostic reasoning and evidence-based practice
• interpret laboratory results and diagnostic procedures for patients across the lifespan
• prescribe and manage medications and other therapies utilizing evidence-based practice
• promote optimal patient and family health through patient engagement and appreciation of social determinants of health
• work collaboratively with other health professionals to optimally manage patient care within a family context

Our graduates are prepared to:

• Critically analyze data and evidence to improve advanced practice nursing practice
• Provide leadership to foster collaboration with multiple stakeholders to improve health care
• Recognize and demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of policy and practice
• Provide the full spectrum of health services to include health promotion, disease prevention, health protection, anticipatory guidance, counseling, disease management, palliative and end-of-life care to patients and their families across the lifespan
• Provide patient-centered care recognizing cultural diversity and the patient or designee as a full partner in decision-making
• Integrate appropriate technology into practice to promote safe, high quality and cost-effective care